This page is designed to answer the following questions:
- 2.1 Model open, respectful and supportive relationships (Level 5 Diploma in Leadership and Management for Adult Care, Relationships and partnership working)
NOTE: This page has been quality assured for 2023 as per our Quality Assurance policy.
For this assessment criterion, you will need to demonstrate that you are able to communicate to establish effective partnership working and can model open, respectful and supportive relationships.
As a manager, it is important to establish and maintain positive relationships with colleagues, service users, their families, advocates, carers and other professionals. Positive relationships are based on mutual respect and trust and should be open and supportive.
Respectful relationships are those in which all parties feel that their input is valued and so you should use effective communication to ensure that everybody gets the opportunity to express their views and that their views are taken seriously and considered. By being respectful, we can encourage all parties to feel comfortable participating and contributing.
Open relationships are honest, transparent and authentic. Information is shared freely (providing it does not break our duty of confidentiality), everybody is kept ‘in the loop’ and views are expressed directly. Being open and transparent builds trust between individuals and promotes teamwork and loyalty.
Supportive relationships are those in which individuals are happy to help one another and demonstrate skills such as empathy and compassion. Support can come in many forms, from providing feedback to answering questions and even just being there for another person to offload their anxieties. By being supportive, we can build trust and help others to achieve their potential.
By modelling open, respectful and supportive relationships in our day-to-day work, we can develop a reputation as being approachable and trustworthy. Furthermore, these values will become part of the culture of your organisation as others emulate your attitudes and behaviours. This can help to develop effective partnership working across your organisation.
Conversely, if we are not open, respectful and supportive, we may find that working in collaboration with others becomes difficult due to a lack of trust and confidence and communication becomes stifled.